June 2010

06/29/2010

Psalm 78:6 That the generation to come might know,
even the children yet to be born, That they may arise and tell them to their
children. (NASB)

Last night I spent a little time
sorting some books. They have been in our basement for a while and I had not
thoroughly gone through them. Included in those books were two Bibles. One belonged
to my paternal grandfather. The other belonged to my maternal grandfather. It
is quite moving to thumb through their Bibles. There are notes from sermons and
Bible studies that were important to them. Favorite passages are marked. Those
selections and notes tell about their walk with the Father. They provide
inspiration for me.

Our walk with God is not a
private matter. We must be aware that others are watching – especially our
children and grandchildren. We must leave an example of how to stay faithful in
good times and in bad. We must be intentional of sharing our stories with them.
They need to know so they can tell the next generation. In the words of the
song, “May all who come behind us find us faithful.”

06/28/2010

Proverbs 16:25 There is a way which seems right to a
man, But its end is the way of death. (NASB)

Have you ever made any of these
statements?

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That did not turn out quite the way I envisioned it.

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My plans did not include that happening.

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I was hoping for a little better outcome.

One problem with planning is that
we make decisions without all the information we need. We cannot see the
future. We do not know all the twists and turns that are ahead. We cannot see
the choices other people will make that will intersect with our decisions and
influence the outcome. Another problem with planning is that we always think we
have made the right decision. We seldom admit our limited knowledge.

Of course, there is one way to make
the right decision – to go down the right path. All we have to do is seeks God’s
counsel. He has complete knowledge. He can help us choose the right path.

06/27/2010

Psalm 77:12 I will meditate on all Thy work, And muse
on Thy deeds. (NASB)

When I was in college, my pastor
invited me to join him for a revival in Nevada. He would preach. I would lead
the music. A member of the church offered to fly us to Nevada in his plane.
There were parts about the trip that were a little frightening. Other parts of
the trip were amazing. We landed at Bryce Canyon to refuel. The view was
fantastic. On the way back, we flew through the Grand Canyon. It was
overwhelming. We all started sings “How Great Thou Art.” The evidence of God’s
creative hand moved us.

From time to time, we all need to
stop and ponder God’s handiwork. Creation needs to awe us. It might be the
mountains, a beach, or along a river bank, but we need to stop and think what
nature tells us about our God. We need to ponder the acts of God in history. We
need to reflect on His actions in our lives. Mediating on His works, helps keep
us focused. It helps us recognize when God is at work.

06/26/2010

2 Kings 5:11 But Naaman was furious and went away and
said, “Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on
the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the
leper.'” (NASB)

If you are a baseball fan, you
know what an incredible year it has been. There have been two perfect games and
one no hitter. There was another no hitter taken away by a bad call by an
umpire. Now I have attended many baseball games. I would love to see a no
hitter or perfect game while in the stand. It has not happened. More than
likely it will never happen. This does not mean that I cannot enjoy the games I
attend. Good games happen every day. Unless we are fans of the teams involved,
we do not pay much attention to them.

God is always at work in our
lives. That is a fact. Another fact is that God can and still does work
miracles. There is much excitement and joy when we see God perform a miracle –
and rightfully so. However, God most often works in the everyday and in the
mundane or routine. We must not be so focused on the “great big” things that we
miss the “great little” things.

Psalm 76:11 Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill
them; Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared. (NASB)

Early this week I made Saturday
plans with family. Bryce and I were going to attend a baseball game while the
girls went to a mall. After the game, we were going to out to eat for lunch at
a specific restaurant. Yesterday, the funeral home called and asked if I could
help with a family that did not have a pastor. Before I could give a definite
answer, I had to do something. I had to check with my family. That may sound
strange, but it important to keep our vows – our word. Of course, my family was
very understanding. We rearranged our plans and this morning I will be
conducting the funeral.

Think about all the promises we
make each week. They are numerous. We keep our promises at work. Our employment
and our opportunity for advancement depend upon it. If we are members of a club
or group, we keep our promises. We do this so that we might remain part of the
group. We keep our promises at home. We do this because we love our family. We
do not want to do something to hurt our relationships. We need to keep our
promises to the Father. We need to do it out of love. We need to do it out of a
desire to maintain close fellowship. We need to do it because we are people of
integrity.

06/24/2010

Proverbs 16:20 He who gives attention to the word
shall find good, And blessed is he who trusts in the Lord. (NASB)

Some things you do not expect to
disappointment. Yet so often, they do. It is hard to imagine ice cream letting
you down. From time to time, our family makes an ice cream run to the local
Bruster’s. I like to try different flavors. Some have been great. Some have not
been so good.

The word “blessed” is an
interesting one. It could also interpreted as “happy” or “satisfied.” God
invites us to put our trusts in Him. If we do, we will be blessed. We will find
a deep level of satisfaction. We will find happiness that is not about our
circumstances. It is about our relationship with Him. If we trust in God, we
will not be disappointed – ever.

06/23/2010

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart
from evil; He who watches his way preserves his life. (NASB)

Men don’t get lost. We take
alternative routes. We look for creative shortcuts. We want to see things off
the beaten past. We don’t get lost – usually. There are exceptions. This is
especially true if you have ever lived in or visited the Tidewater area of
Virginia. The major highway in that area is I-64. This highway makes a giant
loop through six cities. All the signs say I-64 East or I-64 West. The problem
is that sometimes you are going north or south rather than east or west. You
have to know where you are headed and where you are leaving. If you are trying
to go from Chesapeake to Portsmouth and you see a sign about Norfolk, you are
in trouble.

The Christian life is an
incredible journey. We are not always sure what road to travel. There are so
many choices. One key factor is where the road leads. If it leads to godliness,
it is a road worth exploring. If it leads to evil, it is a road to avoid.

06/22/2010

Proverbs 16:15 In the light of a king's face is life,
And his favor is like a cloud with the spring rain. (NASB)

To understand this verse, you
have to understand the traditions of a royal court in ancient times. No one was
allowed to come before the king on his throne unless he or she had an
appointment. There was no open door policy. Even the queen had to have permission.
If someone came without an appointment, they took a risk. If the king approved
they would be allowed to speak. If the king disapproved, they could be executed
for the offense. So you can imagine drawing close to the throne without an
appointment. You are filled with much anxiety. You watch the king’s face. If he
frowns, you may be in trouble. If it lights up, you are okay.

God sits on His throne. The good
news is that we do not have to an appointment to come before Him. We can come
at any time. He is never too busy. He is never occupied with things more
important than what is own our minds. He is never too tired. He is thrilled
when we come. He turns approving face toward us.

John 21:21-22 Peter therefore seeing him said to
Jesus, "Lord, and what about this man?" Jesus said to him, "If I
want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!" (NASB)

Part of human nature is curiosity
about the other person. If we get a promotion or a demotion, we want to know
what happened to others in our department. If we do not get a raise, we want to
know if any others got one. We learned this behavior early in our childhood. If
we did not get a toy, we wanted to know if our siblings got something. If we
got in trouble in school, we needed to know if the others did.

Curiosity about others is
natural. In and of it self there is nothing wrong with this curiosity. The
problem is when we let what happens or does not happen to others determine our
actions or decisions. God has plans for each of our lives. As individuals we
must seek to follow where He leads. It would be great if others go with us, but
if not, we must be committed to make the journey. I have decided to follow
Jesus. Though none go with me, I still will follow.

06/21/2010

1 Kings 17:13-15 Then Elijah said to her, "Do not
fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first,
and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for
your son. For thus says the Lord God of Israel, 'The bowl of flour shall not be
exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends
rain on the face of the earth.'" So she went and did according to the word
of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days. (NASB)

Confessions of a preacher:
Sometimes we preach and preach something. We believe it to be true. We know it
to be true. Then when it happens in our lives, we struggle with that truth.
After the struggle, we are amazed to discover that the truth really was true.

I cannot tell you how many times
I have preached on faith. I have often said that God calls us to act in faith.
He does not give us the details. He does not tell us everything we want or wish
to know. He asks us to decide in faith. Once we make the decision, He begins to
reveal more and more to us. He gives us affirmation. He gives assurance. He
gives further instructions. He gives provision. That is what He did in the
lives of the widow and her son. That is what He has done in my life in the last
couple of weeks. That is what He wants to do in your life.